(Sullivan’s post has predictably infuriated John Podhoretz, the keeper of the neo-con flame at Commentary.)

(Sullivan’s post has predictably infuriated John Podhoretz, the keeper of the neo-con flame at

Commentary.)

Given their long-established affinity for “friendly authoritarian” regimes, I never understood why so

many foreign-policy and other intellectuals were gulled by the neo-cons’ efforts to dress up their

Arabo- and Islamophobia in the guise of Wilsonianism and democracy promotion (although I accept that

Wolfowitz — a neo-con who is not a Likudnik — may have been sincere). The contradictions in their

arguments, let alone with their historical record, always seemed so glaringly obvious. (How can you be

a Wilsonian and indefinitely deny self-determination to Palestinians or condition it on their becoming

Finland, as one of Ariel Sharon’s closest advisers suggested?) Just this past week, I attended a

presentation by Council on Foreign Relations fellow Stewart Patrick, the author of a new book on the

origins of UGGs Sheepskin Cuff Boots multilateralism, who described them as Wilsonians who disdain

multilateral institutions. The sooner people disabuse themselves of the notion that the spread of

Wilsonian democracy is a core tenet of neo-conservativism, the more realistic any discussion of the

movement and its contribution to the disastrous situation both the UGGs Sheepskin Cuff Boots and Israel

now face in the Middle East will be.